Gov. Candidate Greg Abbott Opposes Texting While Driving Ban

Distracted driving is a dangerous and often deadly problem in Texas: According to TxDOT, “distraction, driver inattention or cell-phone use” accounted for nearly 95,000 crashes, more than 18,000 serious injuries, and 459 deaths last year.

But that's not enough of a reason for Texas to join the 43 other states who have texting while driving bans, according to Rick Perry, who vetoed the ban in 2011. And last week, Attorney General Greg Abbott also came out in opposition to this common-sense public safety law with bipartisan support.

Abbott spokesperson Matt Hirsch said that Abbott believes that the ban would be an excuse for the government to “micromanage” driving. Presumably, Abbott would also oppose speed limits, seatbelt laws, child passenger regulations, drunk driving laws, and driver's education mandates.

Sen. Wendy Davis co-wrote one of the bills that would ban texting while driving.

Read more about Abbott's stance on this public safety issue after the jump.According to a recent study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 44% of Texans admitted to texting while driving in the past month.

Abbott's spokesperson said that the Attorney General “will remain active in public awareness campaigns to inform all drivers about safe driving practices, including the dangers of texting while driving.”

But where are these education programs that Abbott allegedly supports, and why aren't they wroking? Distracted driving crashes are on the risk since 2012.

Additionally, Texans don't seem to be opposed to the “micromanagement” of their driving behaviors that Abbott is so afraid of: The A&M study found that 49 percent of survey respondents “strongly agreed” that Texas needs a texting while driving ban.

Wendy Davis agrees. According to spokesperson Rebecca Acuna, “Senator Davis believes that it is imperative that we take the proper and necessary steps to limit distracted driving to ensure the safety of our citizens both on and off the road.”

About Author

Natalie is a native Texan, a feminist, and a writer, focusing on reproductive justice, race, and pop culture. When she's not writing (and sometimes when she is), she's brewing beer, drinking beer, and reading stuff on the Internet. Her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, xoJane, The Billfold, Culturemap, and E3W Review of Books. She tweets from @nsanluis.